Tech

Facebook just added a bunch of new ways to use Messenger — here they are

Alex Heath

2016-04-12T21:27:45Z

Facebook just gave a bunch of businesses, media outlets, shopping sites, and apps the ability to chat with you in Messenger.

Instead of downloading separate apps on your phone, the idea is that you'll use these chat-based "bots" to communicate directly with an app or company like you would with another human. Facebook has already been building Messenger into a customer support tool and integrating it with other apps like Uber over the past year, but now it's letting all kinds of bots work in Messenger.

Here are some examples of the new bots you can use in Messenger right now:

Poncho will send you the weather forecast in your area and can give you more information about conditions outside.

1-800 Flowers will let you order followers, pay for them, and track their delivery without leaving Messenger.

Spring is a shopping concierge for clothes. Ask it about what you'd like to buy and it can place an order for you and keep you up to date on its delivery status.

Operator is another shopping concierge service that lets you order much more than clothes. It uses human experts to help you find the best deal on everything from new furniture to concert tickets.

Operator in Messenger.001 — The Operator app in Messenger lets you search for things to buy, make orders, and track deliveries. Operator

UNICEF's Messenger bot lets you sign up as a UReporter and get alerts about important issues around the world that matter.

All of these bots are available from the search bar in Messenger under people you can message. Your chats with bots will exist alongside conversation threads with your friends in Messenger.

Facebook is gradually making them available to everyone, but there are plenty of other bots you can expect to see in Messenger soon...

Bank of America is going to send its customers real-time alerts about their accounts and handle customer support through Messenger. Burger King will let you order food through its Messenger bot. Business Insider (Tech Insider's sister site) will send breaking news updates to Messenger users. eBay is going to send price alerts through Messenger for auctions you're following. You'll be able to browse and book hotel rooms through Expedia's Messenger bot.
Fandango will let people look up movie times and find nearby theaters. Canadian carrier Rogers will do customer support via chatting through Messenger. Real-time sports scores and news will be sent through theScore's Messenger bot. Retailers like Everlane are starting to offer customer support and shipment tracking through Zendesk. And much, much more.

Facebook